WADA’s decision to exclude Russia from major sports events is anti-Russian hysteria

Summary

WADA’s decision to exclude Russia from major sports events is anti-Russian hysteria. The exclusion of the country from all major sporting events in the next four years is part of a campaign directed against Russia. Although it cannot be denied that Russia has serious problems with doping, it is still not justified to punish Russian athletes in this way. There is reason to believe that such decisions are not about the cleanliness of world sport, but about political considerations.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobia in the Western countries and international organisations, including WADA in this particular case.

On 25 November 2019, one of WADA's key committees has recommended that Russia face a four-year ban from global sports and new restrictions on its athletes and teams at next year’s Tokyo Olympics, subject to WADA's board review in December. WADA reinstated Russia’s anti-doping agency in 2018 but reserved the right to issue stronger punishments if Russia did not provide athletes’ testing data from the Moscow laboratory. Earlier the International Olympic Committee banned Russia from the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang in 2018 due to the systemic manipulation of anti-doping rules during the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

WADA Executive committee is composed of 12 members representing both the Olympic Movement and governments. The Executive Committee made its decision based on the recommendation of WADA’s independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC), which has considered a report from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Intelligence and Investigations Department (I&I) and findings of independent forensic experts.

For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings and look at earlier disinformation cases alleging that there is no evidence that Russian athletes used doping and that Russian athletes face sanctions because of Western Russophobia and Russia’s compliance.

Go to search

publication/media

View original View original View original View original

View archived View archived View archived View archived

Reported in: Issue 178
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/12/2019
Language/target audience: German
Country: Russia, International
Keywords: Anti-Russian, Doping, WADA, The West
Outlet: Sputnik Deutschland, RT Deutsch

European Parliament resolution distorts the history of World War II

Not only Nazi collaborators but also respectable international institutions like the European Parliament continue to distort the history of World War II. The recent European Parliament resolution that equates Nazi Germany with the Soviet Union is an example of a blatant lie about World War II. The resolution almost accuses the Soviet Union of being responsible, along with Nazi Germany, for the outbreak of World War II, apparently forgetting that the Nazis invaded Poland on September 1st 1939 and attacked the Soviet Union on June 22nd 1941.

Those who question this brazen lie are even accused of conducting information warfare against Democratic Europe.

December 13, 2019

Disproof

Recurring disinformation narratives attempting to portray Russia's role in World War II as non-aggressive, to revise the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, reflecting the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and claiming that the recognition and denunciation of Stalinist crimes against humanity are Western anti-Russian propaganda.

The European Parliament is not distorting the history of World War II.The European Parliament resolution on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe correctly states that “the Second World War, the most devastating war in Europe’s history, was started as an immediate result of the notorious Nazi-Soviet Treaty on Non-Aggression of 23 August 1939, also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and its secret protocols, whereby two totalitarian regimes that shared the goal of world conquest divided Europe into two zones of influence”.

There will be genocide in Donbas if Ukraine regains its border’s control, like in Srebrenica

Kiev’s desire to establish border control with Russia would risk creating in Donbas “a situation similar to that in the Bosnian city of Srebrenica.”
[…] We are in danger of having a situation similar to that in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. We have seen how President Zelenskyy has discussed with the nationalists. Who is stronger, what will happen and who will lead them, these nationalists, when they enter these territories without any guarantee of protection to the inhabitants of Donbas is clear.

December 13, 2019

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aimed at justifying the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's continuous acts of aggression in the East of Ukraine. See previous cases here.

Genocide in Srebrenica in 1995 was recognized by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), under the auspices of the UN; no international bodies have expressed concern about the threat of genocide potentially facing Crimeans or Donbas residents. See for example the report of by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, from May 2019.

Poland will stop its friendly policy towards Ukraine if the USA gives a signal

The hitherto policy of the Polish authorities towards Ukraine has been characterised by ambiguity. It will not be a problem for Poland to turn away from the friendly position towards Ukraine if Washington gives such a signal.

December 13, 2019

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative that the United States fully controls Poland's foreign policy. See other examples of this message claiming that Polish policy towards Ukraine is shaped by the Americans, the US keeps Poland on a short anti-Russian leash, and Poland is a Trojan Horse of the United States. The statement that the United States controls the decisions of the Polish authorities regarding their policy towards Ukraine is a conspiracy theory. Poland is a sovereign state, which shapes its own foreign and domestic policies. Poland carries out active foreign policy towards its Eastern neighbours and the Polish government underlines the importance of implementing a pro-active Eastern policy. This policy is based on the promotion of key Polish interests in this region, the strengthening of independence and security of Poland's Eastern neighbours, support for pro-European and transatlantic trends in the region and support for reforms in the countries of the post-Soviet region. Regarding Ukraine, the Polish government has repeatedly shown its full support to solving the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the complete restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

See other disinformation cases on the foreign policy of Poland such as Polish politicians care about Ukraine only if it continues harming Russia, Poland did not invite Russia to the anniversary of the WWII outbreak because of the will of the US and Poland is not an independent country, so it cannot manage its own foreign policy.